Several names cleverly manipulated and included in NRC, pushback of illegal immigrants to continue: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, addressing the ongoing issue of illegal immigration in the state, asserted that the government will continue to push back suspected undocumented individuals across the border, irrespective of their inclusion in the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister revealed that 19 illegal immigrants were deported just a day ago, and another 9 are likely to be pushed back today. “This process will continue. However, it is practically impossible to push back lakhs of illegal immigrants all at once. Despite the challenges, we have taken it upon ourselves to carry out this process,” Sarma stated.

Raising serious doubts over the credibility of the NRC, the CM said, “Many names were manipulatively and cleverly included in the NRC. People from different districts have brought individuals from elsewhere and falsely claimed them as family members, particularly as father-son pairs. Such misuse has severely compromised the integrity of the entire process.”

He emphasized that inclusion in the NRC will not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship, adding, “If we are reasonably certain that someone is an illegal immigrant, we will push them back—NRC or no NRC.”

In a startling claim, the Chief Minister pointed to what he described as a well-orchestrated conspiracy behind the manipulation of the NRC. “Activist Harsh Mander, who stayed in Assam for nearly two years, facilitated training programs that sent youths to the US and UK to learn how to game the NRC system. We were completely unaware of the scale of this operation. Now, I understand how cleverly the system was misused.”

Sarma acknowledged that errors occurred on both sides but insisted that certain elements had used “exceptionally deceptive” methods to manipulate the process. He concluded by reiterating his firm stance: "Personally, I am not convinced that a name in the NRC is enough to determine someone is not an illegal immigrant."